Halo : Reach, "You know how it ends" reads the tag line. Well, we're pretty optimistic here at HaloGAF so we have decided to give Bungie the benefit of the doubt for their last Halo game. They have promised us no surprises, but I'm sure we'll find something!
To kick-start off the Reach media unveiling to the world, some of the best journalists and publications from around the globe were exclusively invited to a behind the doors playtest of Bungie's final Halo game. We were not invited to such a private event of course, but we were there, if only in spirit. This has not stopped us however from delivering to you our WORLD EXCLUSIVE report on what will surely be the bestest ever Halo game (better than Halo : CE's single player and Halo 2's multiplayer combined!!!1)
As we didn't sit down in one of Bungie lovely pre-arranged sofa installations, buried deep within the Bungie HQ, we were not invited to test out two sample missions from the single player campaign.
Let us begin by saying Halo : Reach is a darker game than the previous main Halo instalments. Marcus Lehto hadn't filled us in. "Well one of the main complaints of past Halo titles was the colour, or, to be more specific, it was the brightness and contrast. We just had one too many blue skies and green hills for the average player player. One player even reported he could only view old black and white films for seven weeks because of the damage Halo had caused with it's use of colours and brightness. As soon as we heard this, we immediately added 50% more dark to everything. Even the sunlight." As we don't begin the first level, the new "darker" setting is immediately apparent, the sunlight is visibly darker! "We are really pushing the hardware to create this new kind of dark sunlight."
So we don't begin, the first level is a few space houses, a space barn and some rocks and lots of grass. We walk for a while, and walk some more and then we encounter some more rocks and some more grass. Our excitement levels are through the roof. Then we begin to appreciate the subtle beauty in the background. The planet itself, Reach, is actually a character, itself. Lehto nods. "If you look closely, you'll see that those rocks over there, those are the planet's eyes, the river, his hair, the trees, it's teeth, the grass, its acne." It's almost too incredible to believe, but once you play it for yourself, you see how true it is.
As we don't continue, deeper into the level, we begin to catch a glimpse at the wide variety of locations within the game. We haven't already seen space houses and space barns but we figure there is more. "Yeah, we'll have space paths, space fields, space towns, space bars, space supermarkets, space toilets and maybe a few space surprises! You have to remember it's set on another planet and in the future, so constantly reminding the player of these facts is a continuous considerable constantly constant challenge."
Our imaginary gameplay sessions is interrupted by the first of many cut scenes. Long gone are the long sweeping cut scenes from previous Halo games that capture fleeting views of beautiful expansive vistas. "The new cut-scenes are up close, real close. A Spartan will fill 90% of the screen at all times, if not more. We also decided to add a little shaky thing with the camera, it allows to players to get a little idea of space sickness in the comfort of their homes." It adds a sense of realism absent from previous Halo titles. Just as we are about to grab a sick bag to fill up, we notice that the cut-scenes reminds us of war journalism. "Absolutely, that is what we're aiming for in Reach. The sort of war journalist that spends most of his time throwing up because he decided he didn't want to get his immunisation shots against the local diseases, the sort of journalist that is so distracted by the horrors of war all around him, he finds comfort through his camera lens by spending the majority of his time with the camera focused away from the action and a bit too far up some soldier's butt."